Top 4 Diamonds That Swept the Auctions in 2016

The Oppenheimer Blue

With an impressive weight of 14.62 carats, this rectangular cut Fancy Vivid blue diamond was originally expected to fetch US$45 million, and by a very modest estimate too. The unusual diamond, whose moniker was derived from its previous owner, Sir Philip Oppenheimer, went on to smash a new record with a staggering US$57.5 million in May.

The Sky Blue Diamond

This rare gem, an emerald cut beauty set in a Cartier ring, is prized for its lustrous hue and remarkably vivid quality. Described to exhibit a "wonderfully clear celestial blue”, the 8.01-carat Sky Blue Diamond fetched an astounding US$17.1 million in November – far more than its $12.8 million sale in 2012.

'The Pink' Diamond

Blue diamonds aren’t the only jewels that stole the show in 2016. This 9.14 carat pear-shaped pink diamond sold over the phone to a “a big mega Asian collector” for an impressive US$18.11 million, hitting the top range of its $16 to $18 million pre-sale estimate.

The “Aurora Green”

Its name is likely supposed to inspire visions of the Aurora Borealis, and one might say it does. The massive, 5.03 carat fancy vivid blue-green diamond, encircled by a dazzling array of circular-cut pink diamonds, sold for a record US$16.8 million back in June to one of the largest jewelry retailers in the world, Chow Tai Fook Jewellery.